Wieless multifunction units

[ADS_Tech]

Has anyone had experience with these things. I have a customer interested in one, but neither of us here have ever used one or set one up. He wants to be able to put it on a shelf in an out of the way room upstairs. His router is downstairs.

Example we were looking at is:-

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en...-12229218.html
and
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en...-12715608.html

We just wondered about ease of set up, reliability, scanning speeds etc across a wireless connection.

Thanks

[NooNoo]

wireless one? yep, pita to setup, but once set, works great. You really need to read the manual on this one.

Scanning speed is not relevant - you have to put the picture in the machine to scan then it's just a case of transferring the file across the network. It's g/b so it depends on the speed of the router...

[3fingersalute]

we have several within our offices, but they're used as printers and as occasional copiers, nobody has the software installed to scan.

[ADS_Tech]

I'm going to sound stupid maybe , but if you don't ask etc..............

I take it scanning software will work wirelessly as well, and it's not necessary to connect directly to PC or router to scan..........

[ADS_Tech]

This guys router is a Netgear Rangemax, so that shouldnt be too much of an issue...........

[3fingersalute]

I didn't think you could use the scanner wirelessly, but I've never tried. This is listed in the specs:

Built-in Ethernet and embedded 802.11g/b for wired or wireless home networking and remote printing; 33.6 Kbps fax; 6 individual ink cartridges; 9.1 cm colour LCD for printing and editing of photos without a PC; view video clips with sound and print a sequence of photos; print and copy at up to 32 ppm black, 31 ppm colour; print 10 x 15 cm photos in just 14 seconds; direct photo printing without a PC from memory cards, USB sticks, PictBridge-enabled digital cameras or Bluetooth® camera phones (available with purchase of HP bt300/400 series Bluetooth® Wireless Printer Adapter); copy without a PC; up 4800 x 1200-optimised dpi colour (when printing from a computer and 1200-input dpi) or 6-ink colour printing; borderless printing up to large panorama size (215 x 610 mm) – including passport photo size (with borders); flatbed scanning at 4800 x 4800 dpi resolution, 48-bit colour; scan multiple slides or negatives at once; HP Image Zone photo and imaging software included for archiving, editing and sharing photos with friends and families.

It sounds like the wireless is just there for printing, but I could be wrong.

[ADS_Tech]

I didn't think you could use the scanner wirelessly, but I've never tried.
It sounds like the wireless is just there for printing, but I could be wrong.

Noo Noo.........?????????

[3fingersalute]

Here, I did a quick online chat with HP presales for you:

Thank you for contacting HP Home and Home Office
Connection established.
Initiating Call, Please Wait.
System:: Searching for an available agent.
Agent Connected.
guest: Warning: Java Plugin is
enabled on Customer's machine.
guest: Hello
adriano: Thank you for contacting the HP Home & Home Office Store chat. My name is Adrian.
guest: Hello Adrian
guest: I have a question concerning the HP Photosmart C5180 All-in-One
guest: can it scan to a computer via the wireless network interface, or does it require direct connection via a usb cable?
adriano: The 5180 does not offer wireless support. It can connect to a wired network or via USB. USB is the only way to scan to any format.
guest: So there are not any all-in-one units that can scan wirelessly?
adriano: Not that I am currently aware of.
guest: Ok, that's what I needed to know. Thanks adriano!
adriano: Thank you once again for using HP Home & Home Office Store chat. To sign up for our email newsletter or our catalog please visit our website, www.hpshopping.com.

So apparently the unit I picked to chat about didn't even have wireless, but he did confirm your fears that wireless scanning is not an option. Sorry!

[NooNoo]

hmmm sorry, didn't look at the scanning wirelessly.... as I said, you have to stand by the unit to put the picture in....I wonder if it would save the scan to a local memory stick?

[3fingersalute]

Not sure what you're scanning, but we have added scanning options to our copiers here at work and they're on the network. Its pretty slick, I can walk up to them, lay a stack of 50 pages in the ADF and send it over the network to my pc and its there waiting for me in PDF format when I get there. It also can transfer to and ftp server if you have a lot of documents to do. Only drawback is they are black and white units only.

[ADS_Tech]

Yes, ive seen them - great arent they, especially scanning muliple pages to .pdf! We have installed few of these scanners, connected through wired ethernet.

As for the all-in-one. This isnt just an issue for this customer, but one that weve been asked about more and more. Folk want to get rid of the PC and go for a laptop based set up that can easily be hidden away. A router, especially this pretty white Netgear one, doesnt look out of place in a hallway, where the main phone point often is. A sodding great all-in-one does!
However, scanning to memory card seems to be the answer. like you said Noo Noo, you have to go to it to put the picture/document in it in the first place.

[3fingersalute]

Better make sure you can scan to a memory stick before you make the purchase just to be safe.

[NooNoo]

Yep... I wondered... I don't know!

[3fingersalute]

Yep... I wondered... I don't know!

It seems logical that they should, but we all no how much logic comes into play sometimes.......

[NooNoo]

What is obvious to a user as a requirement is rarely considered by the designer or analyst....